Accurate axle pad weigh systems help farmers account for every pound of product and inputs.
Farmers in the U.S. and Canada are turning to axle pad scales.

Jul 26, 2013

With the size and volume of farms getting larger, even small errors in weighing accuracy product and inputs can make a major impact on the bottom line. Yet many farmers are far from the nearest load scale or rely on grain cart spindle scales or volumetric measurements with accuracy often less than desired.

As an alternative, more farmers in the U.S. and Canada are turning to axle pad scales, which allow them to quickly check weigh product in the truck right off the fields before it goes to market or the grain bin, and can prevent costly overweight load fines. The axle pad scales also enable farmers to check weigh input costs on receipt to ensure accuracy, as well as benchmark and optimize productivity by verifying the accuracy of farm equipment.

But not all axle pad scales are constructed alike. To maximize use without premature troubleshooting or replacement, it is vital that certain components be robustly constructed and made to last for prolonged use and severe weather conditions. The key components in axle pad scales are load cells, located in the weigh pad platform and convert mechanical energy to the electrical energy measured to determine weight.

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Massload, a Saskatoon, Canada-based manufacturer of quality weighing systems, uses a 26-inch long load cell in its weigh pad that is essentially as wide as the platform. This provides accurate dual or triple axle weighing regardless of truck axle weight placement. These weigh pads have a very large weighing surface and low 6-inch profile, making them an easy method of determining truck axle weight. They can be used portably above ground at multiple locations or can be pit installed for permanent use.

Massload axle pad scales come in several sizes that can handle even the large tri-axle, B-Train Double truck rig sizes favored by Canadians.

For example, while Massload’s axle pad scales are all 30 inches wide and 6 inches high with an active weighing surface capacity of 30,000 to 40,000 pounds per pad, their 84-inch long model weighs dual axles and their 144-inch long model weighs tri-axles.